Mandatory Credit: Photo by Seth Wenig/AP/REX/Shutterstock (10188464o)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during the National Action Network Convention in New York
National Action Network Convention, New York, USA – 05 Apr 2019

I read a lot and seldom watch television. Almost all of my media consumption is via the internet. Not surprisingly, I am no fan of Trump. And, of course, I am aware that AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) has been receiving a ton of attention. A number of people have questioned why is she singled out.

I was not thinking about her when I was engaged in my morning reading ritual. One of the current books I’m reading (yes, I’m usually reading three or four books at a time) is a magnificent political history expose: How To Hide An Empire – A History Of The Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr. When I finished the chapter on Puerto Rico, a connection clicked. I already knew that there had been a major linkage between New York Puerto Ricans and the Black Liberation movement of the sixties and seventies. But my knowledge did not extend far beyond the general. Although I certainly was more aware than most, my understanding of who, what, when and where was not very deep.

For example, while I knew that Puerto Rican activists had literally shot up congress in an armed action during the fifties, I had a limited grasp of specific facts about those involved. As I read the details I not only developed a deeper understanding of Puerto Rico, but far beyond grasping connections between people of color who were struggling within the American orbit, How To Hide An Empire made clear how the U.S. system actually worked. Not only was I now able to make connections I previously overlooked between diverse experiences I and others have had, I also gained detailed insight into the functions and machinations of the empire. Just because we live, struggle and die in America, we often think we understand what’s happening. The truth is most of us have only a sketchy appreciation for the complex and interlocking ways in which the American empire functions on a day to day basis.

In the 21st century, How To Hide An Empire is as important and eye-opening as  The Wretched Of The Earth was in the sixties. Beyond the political history and detailed revelations about how the empire functions, this book offers a deep dive into world history with a generous focus on Asia. The scope and specific information plainly spelled out and extensively documented in over a hundred pages of notes and illustration sources as an appendix at the back of the book  is far beyond what is usually found in textbooks coming out of the U.S. If you want to understand world economics, this is the book to read. Indeed, it ought to be titled “How To Understand World Affairs For Dummies”.

AOC gets it. AOC projects it. It’s time to wake up and make a change. Indeed, it’s almost too late. But on the other hand, what else is new? We’ve been engaged in this struggle for centuries. The first world has devoured the third world and once again the third world fights back and is internally challenging and changing the first world.